


Eat Your Pride

by Itachi_S_Lucius



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 1940's Sexism, Alpha Clint, Alpha Natasha, Alpha Tony, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta Bruce, Bonding, Cutting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Omega Discrimination, Omega Steve, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Prime Alpha Tony, Racism, Self-Hatred, Sexism, Slow Updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 02:29:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6637336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itachi_S_Lucius/pseuds/Itachi_S_Lucius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was a military Capt. A respected one since the 40's, he was an Avenger, his fears, and tribulations, not to mention his personal life, were supposed to stay out of that.  That was simply how it was supposed to be, but with this new Bill -strangely reminiscent of the 1940's even to Steve.- Well, now his personal life was sort of open, and he didn't appreciate that. Not at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eat Your Pride

At the time the blond hadn't really thought about it, he was just so desperate to get the drugs he hadn't had time to look around and see -or rather smell- other omega's on the block. But now, as his supply was running low, and noses were starting to rise in his general direction once more did he take a cautious look at his surroundings, his eyes surveying the room, and his nose taking small sniffs of the air around him on the streets.

 

It had taken him awhile to actually let himself get out of the Avengers tower work being his constant distraction. But now he was outside once more, and he was rather horrified. So far he had only spent one omega within the range, but she was mated and old -probably as old as him-.

 

Other that that one woman there was no other omega's on the street it brought a spark of fear straight into his heart, panic settling in.

 

Stubbornly he refused to acknowledge the new idea of _why_ in his mind, he kept it at bay with other thoughts of how different cars were. Still the little, terrifying idea stayed, and he was getting more panicked as he walked, and still no omega scent could be found. Flustered as he was he took another pill from his pocket and swallowed it dry, using the suppressant as a calming agent.

 

The rush of alpha hormones in his body settling him ever so slightly, still his omega side, his weaker side was whining once more in disapproval, but he had gotten rather used to it by now.

 

There was a large group of people gathering around a store, and Steve, curious, and hopeful to maybe smell more omegas, jogged over. It was a small television store with the news broadcasting on both small and big TVs within the display case.

 

There was a Japanese woman with long black hair looking into the camera with a grim expression. _"--Omega numbers are at an all-time low, and in result the Alpha protesters gather at the White House in a large riot to stop the administration of hormone suppressants . I'm here at the White House with Stephan Black ; who is in protest with many of his alpha counter-parts against Omega hormone suppressants. Mr. Black why is it that you feel the production of Omega suppressants should stop?'_

 

The man that spoke up was a large man, with a mop of black hair on his head and a clean-shaven face, revealing a scar on the nook of his chin. _"That's simple Cathy, I believe it should stop because we need our Omega's, they provide a nurturing environment for our children to grow up in, they help us through our hearts as we help them with theirs. By implanting fake beta or in rare cases; alpha hormones, into their bodies they are endangering themselves and our children. I only wish for their safety, and my children."_ Everyone around the soldier seemed to be rather inspired by the man's speech their protests and accusations the only thing Steve could hear.

 

"How selfish-"

 

"Cowards-"

 

"Why are they so afraid? Damn cowards-"

 

"I hope they stop the fucking suppressants Omega's-"

 

"What will happen to my daughter? She's a prime alpha, she shouldn't have to deal with this-"

The blond couldn't hear anymore, his own guilt sweeping into his bones, and fear running through his veins.

 

His own kind were going extinct, and everyone knew a beta couldn't give birth to an omega. But Steve didn't want to have kids, not yet. And he didn't want to be mated to some alpha who thought they-they could rule over him. He didn't want that, and apparently neither did other omega's if what the news said was right. In his own way, he was glad they had legalized suppressants, for they were banned in his time.

 

But of course there was that bone crushing guilt that consumed him, and probably every omega in hiding, the guilt of making themselves so rare. He hated the feeling. But he wasn't going to go off the suppressants, not anytime soon, the Avengers thought of him as an alpha as he was one of the few that took the fake alpha hormone suppressants, and he was determined that they wouldn't find out he was an omega, even if he had to resort to his old ways of getting the shitty stuff on the streets, he would not let anyone know.

 

* * *

 

\----Time Skip----

 

When he got back to the tower he went straight up to the top level, where Tony lived, as they had all planned a movie night to celebrate their victory. Steve was the only one not feeling victorious.

 

But he would join in because he had to alphas flaunted that's what they did, and that would be expected of him, and if he didn't come well he was really worried Tony would figure out why Stark was a nosey person after all. The elevator dinged at the same time Steve sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

 

It was a joyous atmosphere inside, and Steve couldn't help but smile. Everyone was laughing around the bar, Tony with what he could only guess was scotch, whiskey or rum, probably a mixture of them all knowing the man as much as he did, which wasn't to much, but he did know that he was an alcoholic and that was enough. Natasha was laughing with something Clint said, he hands over a coke. Thor was smiling with a large beer in his hand, his hands waving excitedly as he recited some story of victory to Bruce, who was smiling and nodding along, a glass of water by his side. And when everyone noticed his appearance they smiled at him, Thor quite broadly, as he gestured him over to the bar.

 

He smiled and joined in, staring longingly at the alcohol, but avoided it nonetheless, he couldn't get drunk anyway even if he wanted to, and he wanted to. He felt uneasy around most of the team, well his omega side did, he himself didn't. Still he was most comfortable around Thor and Bruce.

 

Thor being -technically- an alien, and not quite understanding the whole alpha/omega/beta thing humans had, he was of course quite respectful of it, though, Steve was probably the most comfortable around him for this reason, and when happy the man was literally the nicest man ever. Bruce was a different story, he was a beta, therefore, he understood the whole alpha, omega, and beta thing quite well.

 

The former soldier tried to stray from topics of gender when with the man for this very reason.

 

"Well, now that Captain douche has arrived we can finally watch something," Tony announced, his voice loud and capturing the attention of everyone. Steve only rolled his eyes but complied as everyone moved over to the large TV in the center of the living room. He was quick to get a seat next to Thor and Bruce on the couch, though he did it quite discreetly. He was quite good at that.

 

They started with something simple, _Forrest Gump_ , Stark, Romanoff and Barton complaining that it wasn't exciting enough all the while, Steve thoroughly enjoyed it, though, as did Bruce. Especially the ending which almost made him cry, he got ahold of it quickly though.

 

Thor laughed loudly at the three alpha's faces as the movie ended, they were all in scowls, Steve and Bruce laughed along with him.That earned him a confused look from all of them, but he just shrugged it off.

 

"Right then, now that the movie's finished we need to talk for a minute." Everyone's eyes rested on Natasha as she spoke, her voice serious. "The new law their thinking of passing for omega suppressants. What do you think will happen?" No one was expecting that apparently, and they all blinked at her owlishly for a moment in silence.

 

"Honestly?" It was Clint who spoke, his face pained, and unsure. "I feel for the omegas, if they don't want to mate it's their decision, but at the same time...Well... I think it could be a good thing..." Bruce, Steve noted had nodded along with the sentence, as did Thor who was only just beginning to understand the human anatomy.

 

"I feel sorry for the omegas, I mean to have such a thing forced on them, it must be really hard to even think about let alone deal with if the law passes." This time, Bruce spoke, his sentence short but passionate none the less.

 

"What about you Romanov? You brought up the subject." Tony interjected the silence that Bruce had left with an uncaring tone, and a sip of his drink quickly following it. Natasha glared at him fiercely, her hair bright red in the current light so it appeared to be on fire, it was intimidating, to say the least, but Tony didn't even flinch.

 

"What about me Stark? What about you? You're an unmated prime alpha, this must bring some sort of comfort to your lonely soul." She spoke evenly, but her eyes were burning through the billionaire's head and Steve could almost feel the heat within that state, even if she wasn't even looking at him.

 

"I-, I- have no opinion." She turned away from him, her posture rigid because she knew he was telling a lie, as everyone did. Then her eyes landed on him. The omega in him whimpered, but the fake alpha hormones caused him to want to be more intimidating to scare her off, he settled quickly on trying to play it off as much as he could without seeming unsympathetic or to caring, it was a difficult situation in his head.

 

"I'm with Stark on this one. Besides it's not really my decision now is it?" He rose an eyebrow for effect and sat there slouched down staring at the assassin, unblinking, and unyielding. She did little but nod and turn to Thor, raising an eyebrow just as Steve had. He relaxed when her stare left him, and sat up straight once more, his eyes losing their fire.

 

"I think all people should be free to do as they choose. But, if one's species is in danger you must step up and procreate, for the good of your people!" Steve almost laughed at the response and the wording Thor had used, but he was right and Steve felt guiltier than he had earlier today.

 

"Well now that the game of one question and thirty answers are over, can we please continue watching movies? I want to be drunk by the end of the evening." Everyone rolled their eye, well except Thor who just smiled broadly, and turned towards the TV along with everyone else.

 

Tony was a prime alpha who didn't act like a prime alpha, and it was confusing as hell to Steve. Prime alphas lead other alphas, he did everything else a prime alpha did except the main part. He showed off, he taunted, he controlled, but he didn't try to lead the Avengers instead he left that to Steve.

 

Tony thought that he was a prime alpha as well. He didn't try to lead, because in a conventional alpha on alpha fight Steve would have won as Tony wouldn't have been allowed a suit. God! Now the blond felt stupid and scared.

 

Had he been buying the wrong suppressors? Was he damaging his body beyond repair? Was he infertile as a result? He was terrified, he could feel his whole body shaking. And knew instantly he had to stop before someone noticed, he was in no mind to be making up excuses at the moment. He breathed in deeply masking it as a sigh, and thought, wiping as brain as clear as he could from the panicking thoughts in his mind that his omega side was most kindly presenting him.

 

No, he could remember clearly looking at the suppression bottle in the store, and reading the label ' _Fake alpha hormone infusion. Strongly Recommended.'_ He also remembered the bottles next to it and reading them. _' Fake Prime alpha hormone infusion. Strongly invisible.'_ So he had picked up the right bottle. So what on Earth had Tony thinking that he was a prime alpha? He shook his own head, clearing it, right now he wanted to focus on the movie, not on Tony's weird state of analyzing.

 

* * *

 

\----Time Skip----

 

No one managed to get to their own level that night, all of them falling asleep on the large couch, or in Tony's case the large armchair on the left of the room. Steve was the second one awake, though Natasha was trying to sleep, he knew she was, in fact, awake, but hungover and in pain. Steve could only chuckle quietly at this as he got up and made his way over to the kitchen where he saw some painkillers earlier.

 

He grabbed a large jug and poured water into it while it filled up he grabbed three glasses and put them on the table. Pulling the jug out of the sink as it was filled, and grabbed the pill bottle he set them both on the table, and flipped on the TV deliberately making noise to get everyone up.

 

Natasha groaned at him, but her eyes opened fully and practically sparkled when they set themselves upon the water and painkillers on the table.

 

The news was on as everyone got up and the three alphas in the room -the only ones to get drunk-. It was the same woman who had been reporting on the protest against suppressants. Steve felt his stomach tighten. And saw out of the corner of his eyes his companions leaning towards the TV intently, listening. He did the same.

 

 _"Last night the most important members of government were gathered here in the White House to decide the fate of all the hiding omega's within our country. And today it has been announced that all beta, alpha and prime alpha suppression distributions are to be shut down for the duration of ten years. As to insure maximum potential, the President has announced that this length of time might be extended if found necessary. This is a win for the alphas, but a loss of independence for all omegas within the United States of America. I'm Cathy Cartwright, wishing the best to all omegas within our country."_ Steve's hand clutched around the remote, his only partial of his anger visible. His face stony, and his eyes even more so.

 

"Well....That's that then." Clint spoke, but it was only to dislodge the silence of the room.

 

"God....Those poor people..." Bruce's voice was quiet but heard nonetheless. Natasha only sighed, Tony remained bitterly silent, Thor didn't seem to know what to say, and Steve wanted to go kill someone, preferably the President. The others got up and moved around, getting food, but Steve just sat there like a rock, his hand never loosening around the TV remote. For once Steven Rogers was unable to brush something off.

 

* * *

 

\----2 Week Time Skip----

 

He was running out of pills, and bravado along with them, he had just taken his last pill, and he was sweating like a horse. So many people were around him in the clustered streets of Downtown New York, and new scents of Omegas lingered in the air, though there wasn't many there was more then Steve had expected to spell in only two weeks, or ever, with how serious the situation of omega's decreasing sounded on the TV and radio.

 

Soon he knew he would smell like they did, unbonded, and fertile.

 

It was screaming in their scents, and he pitied them, as many alphas were on the streets _prowling._ But right now he also pitted himself, because he didn't know what to do.

 

He had promised himself he would never let anyone know about his secret, but there wasn't much he could do in this situation. The thought of buying them off the streets had tickled his thoughts for awhile before he dismissed it, far too dangerous for his body. Too many cons, not enough pros. But he was screwed now and he just wanted out of this situation.

 

* * *

 

\----5 Day Time Skip----

 

He had spent his first heat in decades in an Omega care facility after he threatened the nurses there who recognized him to keep their mouths shut that is. The nurses had all smiled and nodded kindly.

 

He had been rather convinced at that. Two hours after he threatened them he had gone into his heat. And the man had it been painful as all the seven hells. Though he supposed it was to be expected, he had been frozen for seventy years, and on suppressants even longer.

 

So it was only natural that his first heat in this century would be fierce.

 

He got out of the facility two days later then it would have been if he hadn't been on suppressants for as long as he had. But now as he walked out, his shoulders pulled back, and his posture as straight as could be, he felt better than he had in a long time.

 

Steve knew he was getting strange looks from alphas and betas alike as he walked back to Stark tower, but he didn't care, so what if they hadn't seen an omega as beefed out as he was before? He felt good, the omega within himself happy for the first time since he was but a boy. It wasn't going to be happy with him for long, though, Steve knew this, his own mind betraying him slightly in the deepest crevices of his conscious mind.

 

He tried to ignore the mental itch in his mind as he walked along. But he quickly became irritated by all the alpha scents surrounding him all along the street. Steve wasn't stupid, or ignorant of his own suppressants affects and after effects. He knew he still smelled like an alpha and still would for several weeks yet if the cautions on his bottle was correct. But the scents around him were irritating him because they weren't even noticing him, they weren't even glancing in his direction, Steve himself didn't mind, but his subconscious did, telling him wasn't good enough with little whispers ringing out loud throughout the whole of his mind. Thinking quickly he pulled out a little plastic thing from his pocket, an -iPod' he reminded himself half-heartedly-. He picked a random song, laughing slightly to himself silently as he remembered how long it had taken Tony to explain it to him. He smiled as one of his favorites on the small thing played.

 

He made his way into the elevator of the tower skipping there in complete contentment with himself all the while. He smiled as he entered Stark area once more.

 

The team having opted to have movie nights every Tuesday the week of the suppressants distribution had shut down. He entered the area with a large grin in place, not ashamed of himself at all, even bobbing his head ever so slightly to the music playing through his headphones.

 

Bruce gave him a confused look as he entered. And asked a question that Steve couldn't hear through his headphones, but he understood it as some form of 'are you okay?' He simply gave him a thumbs up in response and flopped down on the crisp white couch. Eyes were watching him, he knew, but he ignored them, he was happy and not even Tony Stark's great insults would deter him now.

 

Years and he hadn't felt so good... He needed this.

 

Even if he felt a bit giddy at the moment because of said philanthropists Prime alpha hormones penetrating his nose, and sending his instincts going wild. Not that he let that show. He had his iPod, and the music blasting through his ears was distracting him well enough. He knew his happiness would annoy Tony eventually, though.

 

Sure enough, the headphones were ripped out of his ears.

 

"What could have possibly made you more irritatingly joyful?" The man was scowling at him, but Steve could only laugh, his senses completely confused at the strong scent Anthony was wafting, the blond could probably gag on it if he wasn't so focused on making sure his pupils weren't dilating, a difficult, but not impossible task for an omega.

 

"Just because you're not happy ninety-percent of the time doesn't mean the rest of us can't be." Tony gave him a glare worthy of curdling dairy his lips a thin line against his goatee. Steve was hard pressed to ignore the hormones he was instinctively producing. Bruce, however, wasn't.

 

"Tony, your um..." The Businessman turned towards the scientist, a curious expression in place. But then he seemed to realize what his body was subconsciously doing. He blushed and looked around, Steve laughed, regardless that the scent of Tony's pheromones wafted into his mouth at the action.

 

"Alright! Who is the omega!" Everyone consciously began looking around them, Steve didn't bother, he got everyone's eyes on him because of it.

 

"Rogers?" Natasha asked her eyebrows raised.

 

"What? If the person doesn't want to be known as an omega, it's none of my business. And it shouldn't be yours, we're still a team regardless of our bodies aren't we?" Tony rolled his eyes at this.

 

"Banner I bet it's you, isn't it?" Bruce looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His hands coming up in a way that told everyone he was startled.

 

"No, I am a beta. You can test for fake hormones if you want." Tony shook his head. Disregarding the guess.

 

"Clint?" He questioned, Clint gave him a disapproving stare. "Well whoever the omega is, you need to come out, who knows what way the hormones have screwed with your body." Steve did nothing, well he turned up his music, but he did this very subtly, as to not attract attention to the fact that he didn't want to be in the conversation.

 

After that, they continued watching the movie as if nothing had happened. But the tension in the room didn't dissipate, and the super soldier was getting extremely agitated at Stark's constant twitching. Logically he knew it was his fault, after all, he was still releasing pheromones, undetectable pheromones that only the very primal part of the brain could detect.

 

Really it was inevitable that he was now glaring at the billionaire with lasers in his eyes.

 

He wanted desperately to tell him to stop fidgeting, but that would probably do little but make the billionaire catch onto his scent -metaphorically- And that was the last thing the blond needed. But then he paused the movie, and Steve wanted to hurl the remote at his head, or rather his shield, because; God! It was ridiculous!

 

"Who is it?! For god sake! This is ridiculous!" Steve groaned in frustration and rolled his eyes upwards. But managed to refrain himself from commenting, instead, he settled for giving Tony the same disapproving stare that he used on missions when the billionaire was being ridiculously, and almost threateningly egotistic.

 

Tony only stared back at him with a cold indifference. The others were staring at them both with unaffected faces, far too used to this particular brand of behavior from both of them, for anything else. "Banner can you _please_ stress the dangers of fake alpha hormones to Captain Rogers? Because I don't think he gets just how serious this is." Bruce looked extremely hesitant, as Steve looked towards him, full on Captain mode engaged in his head. And admittedly in his stare.

 

 **"Well, taking Beta hormones essentially cancels the ovaries producing the natural amount of estrogen in a natural Omega-X (Female Omega) or Omega-Y (Male Omega), by adding in extra estrogen, that makes the brain confused and it shuts down the hormonal function in the body. While if and Omega-X or Omega-Y takes Alpha hormones, they are over stimulating the natural testosterone within the body. That can cause multiple bodily failures. Kidneys, Liver, Lungs, if the** ** _treatment_** **is stopped suddenly, which it was bound to have been."** After the information was dealt, Steve felt as if his mind was swimming, not that he let it show,

 

He turned back to Stark. But the other man wanted to speak first, and he did his voice was gruff with anger.

 

"You see Rogers, it's dangerous, and I'm trying to protect someone from organ failure or worse. So _don't_ get in my way." It took him a second, but the blond couldn't help but let an easy smile slip out. Because Tony was only doing what his instincts told him to. Protect his pack, and they were his pack. It was actually the first sign Steve had ever seen on the other actually acting like a Prime Alpha.

 

Actually, it was slightly enduring, seeing a Prime Alpha give up as much control as Tony had, was slightly unnerving to him, although, that might have just been because of the time period he had grown up in. Sexism of both kinds running rampant. Steve had always believed, personally, that your second gender, or even your first, didn’t define you.

 

Still he couldn’t help the pre-programmed thoughts of ‘ _this is wrong…’_ that was more of when an Alpha kneeled, which he tried really hard not to judge on, but sometimes he couldn’t help it. It was likely, all Omega’s still thought this, some of course with a more vindictive mindset.  He was glad he hadn’t ever thought like that.

 

“Well, whoever the Omega is, your not going to find him if you continue snarl like that Stark,” Clint spoke up, his voice hinted with its usual playful tone.

 

“You won’t find him period. Not if he doesn’t want to be found.” Natasha broke through what Tony was most likely thinking, obviously being the only voice of reason in the group right now. She, of course, remained monotone, so even if she clearly stated she herself was the Omega no one would have believed her.

 

To Steve, of course, she was clearly an Alpha, and the very thought of her being an Omega or even a Beta, was an extremely unsettling thought to him.

 

“Of course, I can find out who it is Romanov.”

 

“No Stark you can’t. All of the men here, with the exception of Thor, and yourself, could be the Omega, but Stark, none of these idiots are going to tell you. Not Steve, not Clint, not Bruce. You know this, and you should really let it go until he decides to step up.” Tony growled at her, but it was clear that his intent was less than there. Tony knew she was right.

 

“Yeah, and Stark, you don’t fuck with a hidden Omega, well unless you have a death wish.”

 

“My friends! Perhaps we should continue this in the morrow?” Thor’s booming voice broke through the quickly becoming, awkward silence. Everyone invisibly nodded at the suggestion, no one wanted to stay in the same room any longer.

 

* * *

 

“Steven my friend! Would you come to my chambers?” Thor and Steve were the last ones in the elevators as always, since they're floored were right beside each others. Although considering the fact that Thor was the one that suggested that the Avengers take a break for the night.

 

“Of course, Thor, do you want to discuss something?” Thor smiled at him, but it was less enthusiastic, and more uneasy, very un-Thor like. Which was warning in itself, knowing what Steve knew about his teammate? Tilted his head slightly in contemplation as he followed Thor out of the elevator, and into the God’s rooms. Bruce, however, was the last person he expected to see there. He also looked worried, tapping his glasses against his palm, and sweat marking his brow.

 

“Hi, Steve.”

  
“Bruce, why are we here?”


End file.
